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Yeah, I'm not buying it. That's just more hackneyed magician logic that should have died back in the 1970's.

So do you want them to see cardistry or not? Cardistry or magic, which one is your end goal in the performance? And do you actually perform regularly with the intent of introducing more people to cardistry or are you just saying this to try and prove me wrong? It's based on an inside joke...

I'm seeing a lot of words, but none of them are about where you guys are going to perform. Why is that, do you think? That sounds like an argument for kvlt kiddie syndrome. It's not actual logic, but an incredible simulation. Oh and since you brought it up, skateboarding doesn't get that...

First book I ever picked up on the subject was "Comedy Writing" by Mervin Hellitzer. A bit dry, sometimes dated, but still accessible and covers the fundamentals reasonably well. Also be sure to pay attention to what the best comedians have to say about comedy writing. As an example, there's...

I don't like this approach for several reasons. 1. It invites more ill will and reprisal. My preferred is to let someone who insists on being a nuisance tie their own rope. If I do nothing obvious to encourage this, then there's no one act I did that they can point to and blame me for their...

It's difficult to explain in short form. If you can, watch the Roger Corman horror comedies like the original Little Shop of Horrors. Or if you want something more modern, the incredibly tongue-in-cheek Sharktopus. Don't rely too heavily on one-liners. Make the comedy physical as well...

Check the website of the Creative Commons License. Plenty of interesting stuff, some of it royalties free, all of it available for non-commercial work at the very least.

I don't like the ending. Not because you die (well... not entirely), but because it rather seems to defeat the purpose of the effect: that a seemingly lethal act can not only be survived but produce an impossible result. You obviously want some gallows humor to mitigate the shock. This finale...

A fair point. But again, this also means that it is the magician's responsibility to control the dynamic of his performance. This is not as difficult as it sounds, actually. You're never going to get perfect conditions for a performance, but you can tip the scales in your favor. The...

You like irony do you? I have actually contributed to the thread. You are still complaining about the mean, scary man on the internet. If you want to play this game with me, you will lose. You can quote other people until you're blue in the face. But don't chastise me and call me...

Let me answer that with another question: Why should that stop me? I make no apologies for the fact that I have no tolerance for the asinine, "Take that!" attitude that a lot of would-be and novice magicians take up. It's poisonous and needs to be snuffed out at every opportunity. They're not...

That's not a skeptic. Don't perform at school. Or at least wait until he's not around. If he insists on showing up and doing this whole spiel, just wrap up and say it's not fun when someone tries to rain on the parade. Let him tie his own rope. While you're at it, why don't you just go...

Baby powder is also used by a lot of athletes to keep their feet and crotch dry to prevent rashes and fungus. It's very effective. The main ingredient? Talcum. What else is this used in? Chalk. Mountain climbers frequently keep a chalk block on them to dry sweaty hands in a hurry. I...

You're right, I read that wrong. My mistake.

Finally! It's not as if you guys don't have any good venues. Right off the top of my head, a lot of coffee shops and bars have an open-mic night. Anyone can sign up for those and you can very quickly learn what audiences want to see and what they don't give a damn about.

You should pick up an instrument anyway. It's good for the soul. That said, it's not considered legit because nothing's been done with it as of yet. There are more YouTube videos of cardistry done in someone's bedroom posted every day than there are actual live performances. You want it to...

Since space is a premium, go to a local library and look into books on psychology, social dynamics and acting. Keep a notebook. Write all the biggest lessons and revelations inside. I recommend the following titles: An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski Influence by Robert Cialdini...

Bad example. The Miser's Dream is an effect revolving around creating money out of thin air. Who hasn't had that fantasy at some point?

Sweet Satan, this is hard to read. This all sounds predictably contrived. Why vanish the receipt when you have pockets? Why tear up the receipt only to restore it? Come on, you couldn't have taken 2 seconds of thought to just saying, "Yeah, I should probably hold onto this."? And who tears...

There's the rub. Good acting doesn't look like acting. We don't look at the screen, see Harrison Ford say, "It belongs in a museum!" and think about his acting. We're thinking, "Yeah, Indy! Kick his ass!" As for laughter, to put it in a biological context, it's a device we developed for...